Flange-oiler.



W. A. KEITH.

FLANGE OILER. APPLICATION FILED SEPI. 30. I9I4.

1,182,382. Patented May 9, 19m.

.best shown in WALTER A. KEITH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FLANGE-OILER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten May o, 191e.

Application filed September 30, 1914. Serial No. 864.242.

To (1H whom 'it muy concern:

lle it known that l, lVAmna A. KEITH, a citizen of the United States. residing at Los Angeles. in the county of Los Angeles and State of i ilifA and useful li'langeOiler. of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an automatic flange oiler operable with any hard grease. and spraying the grease when properly melted directly against a wheel flange.

Another object ot' the invention is l(y arovide a flange oiler which will make iff possible to spray a car wheel with a soapy solution of water and grease, so as to keep the Hange of the wheel clean from all particles of sand, grit and other extraneous matter.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionA combination. and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l designates a side elevation of my flange oiler, showing the same in operative position on a. locomotive. Fig. is a top plan View of the flange oiler. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side eleration partly in section of the ange oiler. Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the manner of securing the casing top in position.

Referring in detail to the drawings. by numerals. l designates a cylindrical casing or condensing chamber having an intake opening 2. and a discharge opening 3. The top end of the container is closed by a clamp or cover l rigidly secured to a spring pressed rod 5 sliding between guides (3,7 and 8. 'Vlie coil spring Q'encircles that portion of the rod 5 between the guides 7 and 8. and its lower end engages a cross pin 1f) so as to hold the rod normally in its lowermost position. and thus clamp the cover firmly. When it is desired to'open the casing l, the rod may be sprung upwardly and then rotated in the guides so as to swing the cover from over the casing. The casing may be secured to any suitable portion of a locomotive by any desired means such as a lbracket 11.

Within thel casing 1 is a removable cylindrical container l2 made of any suitable' perforated material and having a conical ottomlfl. The. container may be of a somewhat larger diameter than the casing 1, as

Fig. B, and is open at its uprnia. have invented a new per `end vso as to be filled with a suitable ubricant such as hard grease.'

An elbow 14 is connected in eornrnunicwI tion with the ope-ning 3 and has its other end `connected to a fitting 15 by a coupling or connecting member 16. The'c'oupling 15': forms 'a swivel connection with a'pipe' 16. as indicated by the numeral 1T, and said plpe 1,6 is connected to a T-coupling in the lower end of which is screwed or othee wise secured a delivery pipe 1f), which is held always in engagement with the flange of the wheel, by means of a weight .20 coiinected to the upper end of the coupling l? oyen arm 21, and a'screw 22 is provided to adplst the swivel joint 17. It willbe noted that .the feed line from the discharge port 3 to the delivery pipe 19 is so constructed as to permit this pipe to be turned and ad pisted so as to project toward the wheel 23 at the desired angle. In practice, I. find that it is best to have this pipe 19 runningdownwardly at a proximately a 45 degree angle, and towar the flange `24 at approxi- -mately a. 45 degree. angle, as shown in Figs.

2 aiid 3. f

Any means suitable for the purpose may be employed for melting the grease. and forcing the same through tlie supply pipe 19 into contact with the wheel flange. The preferred means, however, has been illustrated in the drawing where 25 designates the air pump exhaust pi e, Q6 an oil tra i which catches all the oil t iat is fed throng the pump for lubrication thereof which amounts to about two or three drops per flange clean7 and reduc-ing the wear on the 2 flanes'und rails. The weight 2() holds the disc arge end of the delivery pipe l?? always againstthe flange so that the fluid is prog erly distributed. lt is a well known .levi

that the greatest wear onlanges and .rails cornes when the engine lr cars are. descendA ing grades and at this time the air pumps with the condensmi. 'w

. cal, since it supplies grease in proportionto are always working at high speed to furnish air for braking purposes, so there is a A.On ascending grades or level track, the wear lis not so great as on descending grades, and

'the operation of the pump is not so fast.

Thus it will Ybe seen that the preferred means which Ihave shown for melting the hard grease Works automatically to supply grease in proportion to the frictional pressure on the flanges and rails. I

From the foregoing description` taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and practical automatic Ilan 'e oiler, which is adapted for-use on all kin` s of 'rolling stock, and which is very economi the wear on the flanges.

It will be understood that while I have.

shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, that I do not wish 'to be limited to this exact construction, but may make such changes as may suggest themselves from time to time, provided they a column of hard grease to melt some of the4 grease from said column to form a hot soapy steam to the y my hand at mixture of grease and water, and discharg` ing said hot soapy mixture against the flanges to lubricate the flanges and Wash them free from grit.

:2. In a flange oiler, a delivery pipe, a swivel joint for said pipe, means for holding the discharge end of the pipe in Contact with the flange of the wheel, and means for tightening or looseningr the swivel joint.

3. In a flange oiler, a casing, a container in the casing and spaced apart therefrom adapted to contain hard grease, a delivery pipe, a pipe line between said delivery'pipe and the container, and means for conveying interior of` the container whereby the grease is melted to form a soapy solution.

4. A flange oiler. including a cylindrical casing, a perforated container in said casing adapted to hold hard grease, the casing beformed with an intake opening and with e discharge opening, a steam pipe connected tothe intake opening, a pipe line connected to the discharge opening, a delivery pipe, a swivel connection between the delivery pipe and the lower end of the discharge pipe, and a weight tending to swing the discharge end of the delivery pipe upwardly.

In testimon whereof, have hereunto set os Angeles,A California, this 23rd day of September, 1914.

WALTER A. KEITH. 

